"New Moon" & "Eclipse" News; Anita Blake Movie; and BAD TO THE BONE

AUTHORS & BOOKS

Read a description of and an excerpt from Richelle Mead's new Vampire Academy novel, Shadow Kiss. "It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all...might be seeing ghosts."

Read the description and an excerpt from Ilona Andrews' just released Magic Strikes. "Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that's saying a lot."

Read Kimberly Swan's review of A Flash of Hex by Jes Battis. "They’re working a disturbing case where at first glance the victims appeared to have nothing but the drug, Hex, in common. As they dig deeper into the backgrounds the links become apparent and it looks as though the ritualistic killings have a much larger purpose." (Darque Reviews)

Read Charidee's Q&A with Angie Fox about her new book, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers. "As she experiences all kinds of new (and weird) things in Vegas, Lizzie is determined, once and for all, to master her powers. In fact, she’s going to write the book on demon slaying." (Novel Reads)

Jeri Smith-Ready, author of the upcoming Bad to the Bone, is guest blogging at Lynda Hilburn's Paranormality about world building. "Even in urban fantasy, these visions of 'our world' can vary. They can be identical to the one we know, where the supernatural remains secret; or a parallel world, in which magic is integrated into society. As it so happens, I write one of each, so I’ll try to describe some of the challenges I’ve faced."

Read an excerpt from Jeri Smith-Ready's Bad to the Bone, to be released in May. "The things I believe in can be counted on one hand-even if that hand were two-fifths occupied with, say, smoking a cigarette, or making a bunny for a shadow puppet show, or forming 'devil horns' at a heavy metal concert."

Lots of new paranormal and fantasy books are being released today, and SciFi Guy has a list of them to check out.

Author Catherine Karp has a very cheerful vampire-themed music video on her site. You may want to organize your co-workers to all dance to it on top of your desks. (Suburban Vampire)


MOVIES & DVDS

Melissa Rosenberg, the scriptwriter for "New Moon," hopes that Channing Tatum will be cast as Riley in "Eclipse," the third in the "Twilight" series. "He really is tragic. He’s a puppet for Victoria [bad-girl vampire played by Rachelle Lefevre]. So he has to break your heart a little bit at the end when he realizes that she doesn’t want him. Channing could do that beautifully.” (E! News)

David Slade has been named the director of "Eclipse," the third in the "Twilight" saga, adapted from Stephanie Meyer's books. "We weren’t really sold on Slade until we realized that, duh, he directed one of our favorite films, the 2005 scary psycho-sexual thriller 'Hard Candy,' starring a then-unknown actress named Ellen Page." (Los Angeles Times) It will be interesting to see how male directors take on this quintessentially female story. I'm guessing: bigger budgets for more CGI graphics, more elaborate fight scenes, and more female nudity, because that's how guys tend to do it. But I hope I'm wrong.

Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen in the "Twilight" series, has been cast as the lead in "Remember Me." "Landing the 'Remember Me' lead marks the first major role for Pattinson since he rocketed to public adulation for his portrayal of vampire Edward Cullen in the 'Twilight' franchise." (MTV News)


TELEVISION

IFC Television will be producing "Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter." "Mixing mystery, fantasy, and horror, the film will center on the character of Anita Blake, a street-savvy, down-to-earth vampire hunter with a lousy dating life and a penchant for bringing dead people back to life. Blake also works as a police consultant investigating preternatural crimes." (Fresh Fiction)


GRATUITOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Someone last week Roxanne bemoaned the too-young, too-thin werewolves cast in "New Moon," and wished for bigger, older, muscley dudes. I'm sure providing GVDs with big, muscley guys is part of the Vampire Wire Mission Statement. So, Roxanne, this is for you.